Ender's Game

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Transcript of Ender's Game

Ender's Game

By Alec GardnerBy Orson Scott CardThe story begins with a six year-old genius boy named Andrew Wiggin, known as Ender, who is relieved to finally have the little device that has been on the inside of his neck for three years finally gone. That little device, known as his "monitor," hears everything he hears and sees everything he sees. For the International Fleet knows everything there is to know about Ender. Ender is special, and they would need every special, extraordinary being there was on Earth to save mankind.The Bugger WarSeveral years ago, an unknown alien species invaded Earth bringing mankind to the brink of extinction. These "buggers," as they are called, had advanced technology and largely outnumbered mankind. All efforts seemed hopeless to stop them from destroying mankind until one military general, known as Mazer Rackham, was able to stop the buggers. The buggers were forced to retreat to their home planet. As the war continues on into the present time, Earth is desperate to find a commander who can outsmart the buggers and lead them into one last battle.

After getting his monitor taken out, Ender goes back to his school where his bully is waiting. Ender, being a "Third," does not get as much respect as other children. For it is illegal for parents to have more than two children. Because of Ender's older siblings ingeniousness, the government allows his mother and father to have another child, Ender. Ender's bully, Stilson, finds him an easy target due to Ender being a Third; Stilson confronts him after school is over. Stilson gangs up on Ender with his gang. Ender realizes that the only way to stop them from bullying him is to take out their leader. Ender beats up Stilson out of self-defense, and beats Stilson to a pulp. Though Ender meets his goal of striking fear into Stilson's gang, he is ashamed that he beat up Stilson. Ender does not know it, but he has passed his final test.When Ender gets home, he finds his evil brother, Peter, and loving sister, Valentine, waiting for him. Peter observes that Ender no longer has his monitor. Peter, being evil, threatens to murder Ender; for no one can come aid Ender now. Ender promises himself that no matter what, he will never turn into Peter. Ender will never enjoy the suffering of others. The next morning, Ender finds a man from the International Fleet by the name of Colonel Graff at his doorstep. Graff tells Ender how his final test was to see what Ender would choose to do once his monitor was off. Though Graff does not tell Ender this, the reason Ender passed was because he did not have anyone help him with his problem. If Ender is to be up in space fighting Buggers, he must not think that someone will be their to help him. After talking to Ender, Graff convinces him to leave his beloved sister to go to Battle School up in space where he will train to fight in the Bugger War.Ender leaves Earth and begins his journey to Battle School. Along the way, Ender finds out that he is being iscolated from the other kids. Not only does he not have any friends, but he also is being bullied. Ender misses his home, and most of all, he misses his sister Valentine.1. Home by Philip PhilipsThis song from Philip Philips describes how Ender misses his home and his friends. While it shows this, it also tells of how the road that Ender will travel will become his home. Sit back and listen to the sad, longing, feeling this song provides.After docking the school, Ender feels utterly alone. For throughout the trip to the school, Ender had been picked on by Colonel Graff causing kids to become jealous and hate Ender. Ender realizes that the only way to make them like him, is to exceed his expectations. He understands that to earn their respect, he must out do all of them.After getting settled into their room, Ender and his launch go to dinner. There, Ender sits at a table alone with an older kid named Mick. Mick has been unsuccessful and is the failure of his group. He tells Ender how he will end up just the same. Ender vows to himself that he will not end up as a failure; for he would not want to go back to Earth unsuccessful.I will never end up like thisThe next day, Dap, their "mom," shows Ender's launch the game room. Ender, unlike the rest of his launch, is uninterested in the little kid games. He spends his time studying the holographic games the bigger kids played. The more he studies the game, the more Ender starts to understand it. Ender takes a bold move and persuades one of the older kids to play him. Ender crushes him. Ender walks away from the kids as they are stunned by what they just saw.Days later, Ender steps into the battle room for the first time. The battle room is a circular room that simulates weightlessness in which the students battle in. When Ender first steps into the battleroom, he loses control of where he is going. Over time, he begins to experiment with the anti-gravity, and he begins to get more successful at it. While experimenting with the movements, Ender meets Alai. With the help of Alai and a boy named Shen, Ender figures out that the laser guns they hold freeze the other boys in the room. The three boys freeze everyone in the room. Ender loves the experience.2. Soundtrack from 2001: A Space Odyssey This song from the famous movie 2001: A Space Odyssey helps simulate the feeling Ender got while learning how to move around in the battleroom. With each weightless step, he gets more confidence, similar to how the song gets louder. Listen as this song carries you away to space.That night while Ender sat on his bed he played a game on his desk called "Free Play." In Free Play, the computer would continue to keep adding new things as you explored more. Ender is frustrated and stuck on a part. In the game, Ender is at the moment a mouse and he must battle a giant. The giant, as always, agrees to let him pass and go to a world known as "Fairyland." The only thing Ender must do is choose between two drinks. One drink is poison while one is not.

Every time Ender attempts to drink one of the liquids he finds it is the poison and the giant will continue to eat and destroy him. Ender knows the game is rigged. Out of his frustration, instead of drinking the liquid, he dives into the giants eye and kills him. While he is the first child to reach Fairyland, he is ashamed that he killed the giant. He believes Peter would be proud of him.After Ender passes the impossible task of beating the giant, he is sent a note that he is being assigned to Salamander Army. No kid below eight gets assigned to an army; Ender is only six.Once Ender is done reading the note, he begins to cry. He has just started to make friends with everyone, including Alai, when he is now suddenly forced to move on from them. Alai, seeing him cry, comforts him telling him "Salaam," meaning "peace." Ender begins a long friendship with Alai.3. You've Got a Friend in Me from Toy StoryWhile Ender is sad he must leave, he also finds his first real friend. This song symbolizes that even through ups and downs, Alai will always be there for him. Focus your ears on this nice, friendly song.Salamander ArmyEnder begins his first day in army, Salamandar Army. As soon as he steps in to their room, he is already greeted with a lack of respect by the commander of Salamandar Army, Bonzo Madrid. Bonzo tells Ender that when they have practice, Ender will not be allowed in. For he believes that because of Ender's inexperience, he will not be useful for the army. Ender realizes that Bonzo is a terrible leader, for all he cares about is his Spanish honor of where he came from.While at Salamander Army, Ender meets Petra, the only girl in battleschool. Petra, being the best shooter in Salamander Army, teachers Ender how to shoot and some basic battle manuevers. However, he does not only practice privately with Petra, but he also begins to practice and experiment with battle manuevers with his launch. As he continues to practice and get better in the battle room, he also continues to not fire a single shot during battles against other teams, just as he is ordered by Bonzo.

During one game, Ender, pretending to be frozen, notices that he is the only person on his team let that is not frozen. He discovers the enemy advancing towards their gate and shoots them all just as they freeze him. By disobeying Bonzo's orders, Ender turns Salamander's for sure loss, into a tie.After disobeying Bonzo's orders, Ender is traded to Rat Army where he meets the commader of Rat Army, Rose the Nose. Rose the Nose, like Bonzo, is a terrible leader and commander. While in Rat Army, Ender meets Dinker Meeker, perhaps the best strategist in battle school. "Dink," as he is called, helps Ender continue to get better at battle manuevers and work with Ender's old launch group. Ender and his launch group learn fast. For now that Ender is allowed to shoot in battles, he is number one in the standings.One day during a practice with Ender's launch, some of the older kids who are jealous of Ender start to taunt Ender's launch. Ender orders his launch to taunt back. The older kids step into the battle room only to get beat to a pulp by kids who are three-five years younger than them. Though Ender and his launch were successful in beating the older kids, Ender is ashamed that he did a good amount of damage to a kid's ear.After weeks of constant domination on the rankings for the armies, Ender decides to play his Free Play game. He leaves off where he had found the end of the world after finding Fairyland. When he enters the castle in the end of the world, he finds a mirror. Ender takes a glance into the mirror, what he sees terrifies him to his very core. In the mirror holds the picture of the most evil person Ender knows, Peter Wiggin.

While looking in the mirror, Ender fears of what he has become. He thinks back to the time when he beat up Stilson, when he broke that kid's arm on the launch, and when he split that older guy's ear. Ender fears that he has become what he dreads most, Peter.4. Demons by Imagine DragonsEnder begins to fear that he is becoming a monster because of the people he has hurt. When he sees Peter in the mirror, he looks deep into the pits of his eyes and sees the pure evil. Ender does not want to become a monster like Peter. This song by Imagine Dragons describes how Ender thinks he is a monster.

After a full year of dominating the rankings, Ender is finally given command of an army. Not just any army though, he is given Dragon Army. An army they stopped some years ago because it seemed to be jinxed as always being the worst team. Ender is given young kids and few veterans to work with for his army. Ender realizes that he will have to take different approaches towards his army. For Ender is going to change the game.On the first day of practice, Ender meets his team for the first time. Most of his soldiers are very young. They look just as though they came out of launch. The few veterans who Ender observes on his team are not impressive. There is one positive thing though that Ender notices. One of the young soldiers, named Bean, picks up on things much faster than anyone else. The more Ender's squad practices, the better his squad gets. Ender realizes while he may have gotten inexperienced soldiers, he does realize that they pick up on things quickly. Ender starts to teach his team new battle maneuvers. Just as his team is starting to pull together, Ender's army has their first battle. Most new teams get three months to practice before having their first battle, Ender's team has had only three weeks.Ender's army battles Rabbit Army; the battle is a quick one. Dragon Army wins without any threat from Rabbit Army. Ender is satisfied with his first win of many to come for his army.5. Sweet Victory by David Eisley and Bob KulickThis song from one of the best Spongebob episodes describes how sweet it was for Ender to win his first of many victories. Ender feels the great satisfaction of winning. He realizes that his team will almost never fall to an oppenent. Open your ears as you listen to the sweet victories of Ender Wiggin.After winning his first battle, Ender begins to notice signs of jealousy from other commanders. The other armies already see Ender as a threat.Teams normally get two weeks off before their next battle, Ender had one day. A day after beating Rabbit Army, Ender's army is forced to battle again. This time though, they must battle against Petra's army. Dragon Army dominates again. Ender's army continues to play everyday; Ender's army is all veterans now. Dragon Army continues to dominate, showing the teachers that no matter how hard they try to break Ender and the rest of them, they will not.After seven days of battles and seven days of winning, Dragon Army goes up against Ender's old team, Salamander Army. Though it is not pretty, Ender wins. Ender notices Bonzo's hatred towards him has grown susbstantially.Dragon Army continues to win after defeating Bonzo. The teachers continue to make it as unfair and impossible to win for Ender that it can be. Not only must Ender know be worried about what the teachers will throw at him next, he must also watch his back now. He knows that Bonzo and others are out for blood. 6. Danger Zone by Kenny LogginsThis song from the movie Top Gun describes the suspenseful, nervous feeling Ender has at the moment. Ender knows that he is danger of being seriously injured or killed by Bonzo. All Ender can do is continue to step into that danger everyday in the hope that the worst will not come. Listen as this fast-paced music describes the danger Ender is in.

One day after a battle, Ender decides to take a shower. While showering, he notices others entering the room. As soon as Ender sees who it is, Ender understands what is going on. He sees Bonzo and others who have despised Ender. Ender convinces Bonzo to fight him one on one. Bonzo is twice the size of Ender, so Ender must be clever. Ender makes Bonzo slip on soap and kicks him in the face. Ender then follows the kick up with a blow to the nose. Ender describes it as though it looked as though Bonzo already had a dead look in his eyes. Ender finishes him off by kicking him where it counts most.Again, Ender is ashamed that he hurt Bonzo, but there is no time to lose. For Ender must fight another battle this time against two teams at once. Ender is outraged, and he does not want to play the game any longer. Ender decides if he is going down, he is going to go down in style. Ender has his army distract both Tiger and Griffin Army while he launches seven guys to the enemy's gate. Ender wins again, but this time he promises himself he is done with the game.On the way back from the battle, Ender is given orders that he is to depart from battle school and begin command school soon. Kids do not enter command school until they are sixteen; Ender is only ten years-old. Ender says goodbye and leaves battle school.Ender gets time to relax on Earth before he goes to command school, but Ender never plans to return to school. Ender is done with their games. All he wants to do is stay here on a lake on Earth and swim. Colonel Graff is desperate to find a way to persuade Ender to continue, so he turns to the only person who could change Ender, Valentine.When Ender sees Valentine, he is not surprised. He knew that they would try to persuade him by using Valentine. When Ender tells her why he does not want to continue, Valentine tells him that he cannot stop, that if he stops, all of mankind will die, including her. Ender realizes that no matter what, he must not give up and keep going.7. I Won't Give Up by Jason MrazThis song describes how Ender must not give up. If you listen closely, the song provides a motivational feeling. It talks of how even when times get tough, like for Ender, you must keep going.When Ender reaches command school, he finds that as the battle room was to battle school, the simulator is to command school. The simulator simulates star ships fighting against buggers. At first, Ender is shaky at the game, but as the year goes by, he has mastered the simulator. Ender is doing so good, he feels that he has yet to face a challenge in command school.A year into command school, Ender awakes to an old man sitting next to his bed. Ender tries to open the door to leave his room, but finds it to be locked. As Ender sits down to study, he is suddenly attacked by the old man. Ender tries to fight back but finds that the man is too clever. When the old man turns to leave, Ender asks the man his name. He tells him his name is Mazer Rackham and that from now on he is his new teacher. Rackham will be programming the buggers on the simulator from now on.The next day when Ender gets on the simulator, he finds that he can no longer control all the ships. He is informed that he now has squad leaders for each of the ships. Ender will communicate and command them through his headphones. Ender's squad leaders include Petra, Bean, Alai, and other friends from battle school. Once again like in the battle room, the simulator will change and show something different everyday. Ender trains hard to be ready for the unexpected everyday.8. Gonna Fly Now from RockyThis song describes how everyday Ender is pushing himself and his squad to get better and fix their mistakes from the last battle on the simulation. Ender continues to not give up; he has gone further than any other person has gone in command school. This song from the movie Rocky describes how Ender continues to try and get better. This song, like others, is also motivational. Close your eyes and sit back and listen as this song brings that motivational feeling to your mind.As Ender continues to work as hard as he can to win every battle against the buggers in the simulation, he begins to run himself ragged. He begins to have terrible dreams. He dreams that he is being dissected by the buggers, and he dreams about him hurting Stilson and Bonzo. The more and more he continues to work himself, the more unstable his mind begins to become. He begins to get ill and will not eat; for Ender's mind is on the verge of breaking. Ender needs a rest.9. Blow by KeshaThis song describes how Ender's mind is unstable. Furthermore, his mind could blow at any second. Ender is being pushed harder than he ever has before and it is taking an effect on him. This songs explosion describes what could happen to his mind at any second. Sit back and listen to this song describing how the great Ender Wiggin could finally be broken.When Ender wakes up and heads to the simulator room, he is approached by Mazer Rackham. Rackham tells him today is different from the other battles; today he must battle around a planet. It will be his final test.Ender hates all the unfair games they have made him do. He remembers back to the end of battle school, when he had ignored all his losses and just launched some soldiers towards their base. Ender orders several starships to attack the bugger ships and tells a few ships to fall with their bombs onto the planet. The planet explodes, and Ender is satisfied that they will have to send him home now.When Ender hears Mazer Rackham and others cheering and crying out of joy, he is confused. For they should be mad at him and telling him how disappointed they are. When Ender walks up to Mazer Rackham and tells him he beat him, Mazer Rackham tells Ender he never played a single game against him. Ender was really commanding the real war. He killed all of the buggers on their home planet. Their children, the parents, the queen, they were all dead because of him. While others are cheering because of winning the Bugger War, all Ender feels is guilt.10. What I've Done by Linkin ParkThis song by Linkin Park describes the sadness and guilt Ender feels for destroying the buggers. He know realizes what he has done. Ender has destroyed all children, adults, queens, and history of the buggers. If Ender could take it all back, he would in a heart beat. Ender wishes he could wash it all away. Listen to this dark song in a dark time for Ender.

Back on Earth, the people praise Ender for what he has done. Ender does not want to return to Earth. In fact, he reunites with Valentine. Valentine convinces Ender to come with her to colonize one of the old bugger worlds. Ender leaves his guilt behind with Earth and heads towards a new beginning.Ender's colony colonizes one of the former bugger planets. Ender is living happily on his new home planet when he decides to go look for a good place for the second colony to arrive to colonize. What Ender finds, he never saw coming.While exploring, Ender finds a hill that looks as though it has been formed out of a giant's carcass. Ender is suspicious and continues onward. Ender finds what looks like a giant castle. Ender steps inside and finds a mirror. On the mirror is carved the face of his evil brother, Peter.Ender realizes that the buggers must have built his Free Play game in hopes that he would understand them as they understood him. The buggers realized that Ender only ever sought peace. They like Ender, had never meant to murder, and once they understood, they never came to do it again. They left this message for Ender in hopes that he would share it with the rest of the humans; for Ender is the only human who could understand them. Ender, realizing the buggers' purpose, opens the door to the mirror. He finds an egg. He finds a queen bugger egg.11. Second Chance by ShinedownThis final song by Shinedown describes how Ender gets a second chance with the buggers. He, like the buggers, did not understand that he was killing anyone, and once he new, he stopped. While Ender destroyed all the buggers, he gets a second shot at being friends with them. The buggers have a queen egg waiting for him and waiting to be placed where it can create a thriving civilization. Sit back and listen to this last song that describes how Ender finally gets a second chance at life with new meaning.This book was great. It is full of action, drama, and twists at every turn. I recommend this book to any reader out there who loves adventures.